Breakdown of Vad gör vi med den urtvättade färgen?
vi
we
vad
what
göra
to do, to make
färgen
the color
den
the (with en-words)
med
with
urtvättad
washed out
Questions & Answers about Vad gör vi med den urtvättade färgen?
Why is the particle attached to the front in urtvättade when the original verb is tvätta ur?
This is a strict rule in Swedish. When a phrasal verb (a verb with a stressed particle) becomes a participle used as an adjective, the particle must become a prefix. While you would say vi tvättar ur den (we wash it out) as a verb phrase, the adjective form has to be combined into the single word urtvättad.
Could I keep the words separate and say den tvättade ur färgen instead?
No, that would be grammatically incorrect and sound very confusing. When a phrasal verb acts as an adjective modifying a noun, the particle cannot float around as a separate word. It must be locked into the prefix position, giving us den urtvättade färgen.
Why does urtvättade end in -ade here rather than just -ad?
Because it is in the definite form. The base past participle is urtvättad. When you use it with the freestanding definite article den and the definite noun färgen, the adjective needs its definite ending. For past participles ending in -ad, the ending for both definite and plural forms is always -ade.
Does the particle ur usually translate to 'out'?
Often, yes. As a preposition or particle, ur frequently means 'out of' or indicates the removal of something. In tvätta ur, it refers to washing something until a quality (like the dye or color) is removed, leaving it faded or 'washed-out'.
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